It is being called ‘The Melting Pot Generation’ – with Jessica Ennis as one of the most high profile examples.

A report published yesterday by the think-tank British Future, timed to coincide with the release of Census 2011 data, shows a dramatic shift in British attitudes to mixed relationships.

It points out that when parents of Olympic champion Jessica Ennis met in Sheffield in the 1980s, a majority of the public expressed opposition to mixed race relationships. In 2012, concern has fallen to 15% – and just one in twenty of those aged 18–24.

So is Jessica Ennis the ‘face of the Census’?

The British Future report has this data on how attitudes to mixed relationships differ over generations – more so in the case of race than religion.

The report points out that mixed marriages are more likely in Britain, where the dynamics of mixing are different.

It also shows that mixing and integration are, overall, more popular among ethnic minority Britons than their white fellow citizens.

Sunder Katwala from British Future writes:

Across all colours and creeds, the preference is for integration over segregation, but there is more ambivalence about this among white and Asian people, with a fifth of both groups worrying about separate cultures becoming diluted. Those who are black or mixed race, are most likely to see mixing as good in bringing us together.

Whether it is the sporting triumphs of Jessica Ennis and Lewis Hamilton, the pop music of Leona Lewis, or a couple from different races holding hands in the street, mixed Britain is fast becoming the new normal. We are right to worry when integration goes wrong. Maybe we should notice too when we are better at it than we realise.

Reader comments

C’mon. What the Census conclusively showed is that I now belong to an ethnic minority in London since I was born in Lambeth, London, before WW2. According to the Census, 37pc of London residents last year were born abroad.

“think you’ll find you’re in an ethnic plurality seeing as white British far outnumbers any other socio-economic group in the city.”

By the 2011 Census, of resident Londoners last year, only 45pc classified themselves as “White British” so they were in a minority and I wonder what percentage of them were born in Lambeth?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oimHJCURbo

Have you any figures how this correlates with class because my (admittedly anacdotal) experience tells me that (a) working class people are more likely to marry people from other groups, despite (b) being stereotyped as racist scum by middle class liberals who relocate to a whiter catchment area the moment they hear their kids say ‘innit’.

The reason why I live where I live now in London is ’cause my son passed the entry exam to the school down the road. At that time in the late 1980s, I knew it to be a good school but didn’t know what I know now – namely, that was the same school which Chris Woodhead, the notorious chief inspector of schools, attended, and it is one of several local schools which attains better average A-level grades than Eton. They don’t have schools like that in Lambeth nowadays, which is a pity, especially since Lambeth council has been spending more per capita than the local borough council. Btw until the late 1980s, London’s population was in continuous decline since before WW2.

“Have you any figures how this correlates with class because my (admittedly anacdotal) experience tells me that (a) working class people are more likely to marry people from other groups, despite (b) being stereotyped as racist scum by middle class liberals who relocate to a whiter catchment area the moment they hear their kids say ‘innit’.”

I think your views might be just a little coloured by prejudice there.

Well yippee and hooray for “mixed race” marriages and children (actually, you aren’t allowed to say that any more, it’s called “multi-ethnic) because that takes the sting out of the whole “racism” thing. It’s pretty difficult to be racist if you are a quarter this, half that and a bit of the other.

It also puts paid to the notion of “your roots” if your Dad is half German and your Mum is Malaysian because you are who you are and no less a person for it.

“Across all colours and creeds, the preference is for integration over segregation, but there is more ambivalence about this among white and Asian people, with a fifth of both groups worrying about separate cultures becoming diluted. Those who are black or mixed race, are most likely to see mixing as good in bringing us together.”

Where are the numbers for this? – couldn’t find them in the report. A breakdown of the figures would be rather interesting.

Why the decline in London’s population until the late 1980s or why the growth in London’s population since then?

I doubt that there were single reasons for either the downward trend or for the growth trend. Analysis of census reports from 1991 onwards should give clues about where London’s growing population since the late 1980s came from. But I doubt that in 1991, 37pc of London’s resident population were born abroad as now.

Decline in London’s population: the global trend towards suburbanisation and sprawl, combined with the specific local issue of the green belt (so unlike LA or Melbourne, people had to move beyond London’s boundaries to suburbanise, rather than doing so in new settlements on the city’s edge).

Increase in % of Londoners born overseas: this has certainly happened – however, the % of Londoners born *outside London* is surely the only thing which matters from the point of view of locals claiming they’ve been marginalised, and in that sense foreigners have made up the majority of the population since Tudor days if not longer…

“the % of Londoners born *outside London* is surely the only thing which matters from the point of view of locals claiming they’ve been marginalised, and in that sense foreigners have made up the majority of the population since Tudor days if not longer…”

From that Lambeth Walk link @3, I can still recall Pearly Kings and Queens from when I was a boy growing up and shopping in Lambeth, as well as buskers making their music routines with forks and spoons but I’ve not seen either for a long time. Opposite the church where I was Christened, there is a shop with ‘Afghan Store’ prominently displayed. I get on a bus to go shopping nowadays, as I don’t have a car, and it’s getting so that hearing English spoken around me on mobile calls is unusual.

If, as you allege, Jessica epitomises the new Britain, so comfortable with her mixed ethnicity, can you explain why she feels the need to straighten her hair?

Sadly, the fact that some people felt this survey needed to be conducted and that this article required to be written demonstrates the lack of progress some people have made in this area.

DisclaimerI married a mixed race girl in the eighties and experienced no “opposition” whatever at the time. Nor have we ever experienced a single incident of racism since. So have I been lucky or is your article mischievous nonsense?

“If, as you allege, Jessica epitomises the new Britain, so comfortable with her mixed ethnicity, can you explain why she feels the need to straighten her hair?”

Eh? Why are you asking random people about Ennis’s personal reasons for style choices? Why do you care about Ennis’s style choices?

“I married a mixed race girl in the eighties and experienced no “opposition” whatever at the time. Nor have we ever experienced a single incident of racism since. So have I been lucky or is your article mischievous nonsense?”

I think out-and-out racism like that is pretty strongly tabooed now. Bullies aren’t going to shout at someone in the pub if they think the whole pub will shout back. It’s cheering to hear you’ve had a good experience here, though.

I’m not sure all is fine with mixed race couples.
For the children of them it’s much better, as they look like everyone else if they’re in an urban setting.
But there are still places (I think) that are ”black only” – or pretty much. I see places in London that look like that anyway.
A wine bar in Streatham Hill for example.

Also, white men and black women? That’s going to be not quite right for some people. And when you get to Asian people, where do you start? Black boyfriend for Asian British girl? White boyfriend? Chinese guys and white girls is kind of rare. Much more normal for white guy and Chinese girlfriend. And of course the Thai bride brought home from holiday always seems not quite correct.

@16. pagar: “If, as you allege, Jessica epitomises the new Britain, so comfortable with her mixed ethnicity, can you explain why she feels the need to straighten her hair?”

Dig out your 2007 Argos catalogue and in the women’s hair care section there’ll be two pages of hair straighteners. It was fashionable but the practice is in decline. Next year, the Argos catalogue will have two pages full of hair curling devices. Straight hair will be as untrendy as pointy toed killer boots.

Have you any figures how this correlates with class because my (admittedly anacdotal) experience tells me that (a) working class people are more likely to marry people from other groups, despite (b) being stereotyped as racist scum by middle class liberals who relocate to a whiter catchment area the moment they hear their kids say ‘innit’.
True but it is not only middle class liberals but also the conservative middle class.

None whatsoever but I understand that buying hair care products (eg straighteners) from an Argos catalogue or high street shop is fairly classless.

Or do you mean something else?

“because my (admittedly anacdotal) experience tells me that (a) working class people are more likely to marry people from other groups”

I dunno. A female machinist in a clothes workshop will, in probability, be working with 20 other women and one eligible man. The bloke who operates a lathe knows that he is unlikely to meet a female partner at work; he learned it because there was only one woman in the class at college.

If you work with lots of people who are different from you, you’re probably white collar which does not equate to middle class. White collar working environments are where people from different races have to mix in order for stuff to get done.

Before I post this comment, I have to say that I dislike my previous paragraph. I am the son of a blue collar worker and I should have been able to talk about blue and white collar culture a bit better.

“despite (b) being stereotyped as racist scum by middle class liberals who relocate to a whiter catchment area the moment they hear their kids say ‘innit’.”

Oh do us a favour Chaise Guevara, I was just letting go a little. Race is still a big deal, otherwise you wouldn’t have such things as black speech and socialising paterns.

There’s a lot said about interracial dating and it doesn’t all come from white people in Kent village pubs and that demographic.
Successful black men having white wives and girlfriends can be a bone of contention with some black women.
Maybe you are just unaware of such things.

“Race is still a big deal, otherwise you wouldn’t have such things as black speech and socialising paterns.”

Who said otherwise?

“There’s a lot said about interracial dating and it doesn’t all come from white people in Kent village pubs and that demographic.
Successful black men having white wives and girlfriends can be a bone of contention with some black women.
Maybe you are just unaware of such things.”

“For decades after the war, it was deliberate policy to both attract and force industry and population out of London.”

True enough but I don’t understand why the Abercrombie plan ceased working in the late 1980s and not before or later.

I’m also reluctant to back a single cause explanation of the change in London’s population without taking any account of what was happening to the natural increase (births minus deaths) and the balance of net migration into and out of London. Btw why are the government and the BBC still so keenabout moving civil servants and BBC staffers out of London when there’s a big myth about the number of civil servants working in London. In fact, only 18pc of the civil service is based in London and only 12pc in central London.

I’m just wondering what on earth your point is. Some people are racist about relationships. So what? Are we meant to pander to them or something?

You do come across as a bit of an Ultra on a few things like this. That’s all.
The way you call everyone who might not be totally fine with mixed race and cultural relationships ”racist” for example.
That’s a lot of people obviously, and will make up a majority of British Asians probably.

And coming at the issue like the OP does is just looking at one small part of a wider issue.
What about communities leading parallel lives for example – which I thought was the case in the place I was just living in for a while, Harehills in east Leeds. The white working class and the Pakistani and Pakistani origin people didn’t seem to have much to do with each other at all.

Same goes with the Chapeltown West Indian origin population too. That seems to be it’s own little world that if you are mot part of it can make you feel like an outsider.
Why do these somewhat separate communities continue to exist in this fashion well into British born generations? I’ve no doubt that there are very basic and obvious reasons for it, and patterns amongst mixed race relationships too. Many mixed race children hardly know their black father and are brought up in white households. And black women are single mothers more than they are married or living with the father of their children. It’s a ‘cultural thing’.

“You do come across as a bit of an Ultra on a few things like this. That’s all.
The way you call everyone who might not be totally fine with mixed race and cultural relationships ”racist” for example.”

So calling something what it is is “ultra” now, is it? If someone disagrees with mixed-race relationships, they’re either racist themselves or following some philosophy with racism built into it. I really can’t think of another reason for it. Why are you always so desperate to treat bigots with kid gloves?

“That’s a lot of people obviously, and will make up a majority of British Asians probably.”

Dun dun duuuuun. You need to follow up by explaining why I should automatically fall in line with “probably most British Asians”.

“Why do these somewhat separate communities continue to exist in this fashion well into British born generations?”

I don’t know. Lots of reasons probably. But you’re off-topic.

“I’ve no doubt that there are very basic and obvious reasons for it, and patterns amongst mixed race relationships too. Many mixed race children hardly know their black father and are brought up in white households.”

Citation needed.

“And black women are single mothers more than they are married or living with the father of their children.”

Ditto.

And still off-topic. Get back to the apologetics for racism, would you?

The Commons committee, which is investigating young black people and the criminal justice system, was told 57% of black Caribbean children grew up in lone parent households, compared with 25% of white children.

I have seen figures lower than that though. Down at 48% for black single parent families.

For children of mixed race …. I think those figures for their parents will be higher than the 25% one.

Chart 8 of this brief (May 2012) on the Prison Population, prepared by the HoC Library, shows the breakdown in that population by ethnic groups.

After ethnic Whites at 74.3pc (as compared with 88.8pc in the general population) the next largest ethnic group in the prison population is Black or Black British at 13.4pc (as compared with 2.7pc in the general population):http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN04334.pdf

But I’m still waiting to hear why you get so protective about bigots, and to be told why I should take my cues from British Asians.

I think I’m just not as judgmental as you and tend not to condemn whole swaths of people in that blanket fashion. I’m in Egypt at the moment. In an internet cafe in Alexandria. I can only guess at some of the backward things people around me think. About Jews, homosexuals and atheists etc. You can even see Mein Kampf on bookstands.

But don’t tend to view them through your righteous prism. It’s something I’ve always got grief for on Sunny’s two sites, this one and Pickled Politics.
I try to see the person behind the dodgy views, and will be quite forgiving of human weaknesses quite often …. but not always of course.

I think that purists such as yourself Chaise, (and Matty it would seem like) can’t understand why a non-bigoted person would be like that.

What ever % of Black you have running through your veins,as long as Black people continue to perform at a level that is acceptable to the white minority in power, we are valuable. Her face will continue to be the ‘face of census’ as long as her performance enhances the chances for white British popularity and gain that is observed by the world. But it is good to know that there is acceptance by all, that if you can’t embrace all Black, then a bit of Black in all things enhances it performance and productivity.

Thanks, but that really doesn’t look like it proves that most black mothers are single, which was the claim you claimed to back. It looks like either black parents are more likely to be single, or single parents are more likely to be black (not sure, it’s not a well-worded figure), but that’s not the same thing. What you need is stats showing that over 50% of black mothers are single. And I’ll add that I was assuming that meant mothers still looking after their offspring, which in fairness was possibly unwarranted.

“I think I’m just not as judgmental as you and tend not to condemn whole swaths of people in that blanket fashion.”

LOL doesn’t cut it. It just doesn’t. I need something more like “Ahahahaha!” The most judgmental and sanctimonious man on the whole fucking internet is trying this trick on me? LOL! I mean, ahahaha!

“I’m in Egypt at the moment. In an internet cafe in Alexandria. I can only guess at some of the backward things people around me think. About Jews, homosexuals and atheists etc. You can even see Mein Kampf on bookstands.”

Fascinating stuff. You mean people aren’t born perfect beings of perfect pure pureness???? And there I was thinking that we were living in nirvana. Gosh, there goes my view of the world.

“But don’t tend to view them through your righteous prism.”

No, you’ve got a special prism of your very own. That’s been established.

“It’s something I’ve always got grief for on Sunny’s two sites, this one and Pickled Politics.
I try to see the person behind the dodgy views, and will be quite forgiving of human weaknesses quite often …. but not always of course.”

I totally agree with your attitude here, applaud it even, but you need to learn to practice what you preach. You don’t try to see the person, damon. Your entire shtick is based on generalising absolutely everything, so you can make allegations against whole groups instead of actually addressing actual issues. That’s why you worship Spiked so much. There’s a site that thinks like you, and you get to pretend that this site matters.

“I think that purists such as yourself Chaise, (and Matty it would seem like) can’t understand why a non-bigoted person would be like that.”

You’re not very good at understanding people. I can’t understand why a bigot could be a non-bigot, because I understand basic bloody logic. What I can understand is that someone can be a good person and still a bigot. In fact, I think that most people are good bigots, and I only hesitate to include myself in that group because I’m not sure about the “good” part.

And you STILL haven’t explained why I should copy the attitude that you claim is shared by most British Asians. I’m waiting.

46 Chaise: “Thanks, but that really doesn’t look like it proves that most black mothers are single, which was the claim you claimed to back.”

I didn’t claim that that most black mothers are single but that single-parent families are disproportionately black as compared with other ethnic groups.

What Figure 16 on page 17 of the link @43 shows is, to quote the text there: “The number of lone parent families, headed overwhelmingly by single mothers, is also higher among the Afro-Caribbean population in the UK”. It is of sociological interest as to why that is so, as I think you must agree.

Why do these somewhat separate communities continue to exist in this fashion well into British born generations?

Generally, because an established community was transported wholesale into a small monocultural town in the early postwar years. At least, that’s how the Pakistani ghettos in the northern textile towns all came about: villages migrated wholesale. In that situation, it’s hardly bloody surprising there wasn’t much integration.

But that’s completely unrepresentative of how migration and racial relationships work these days, and completely unrepresentative of how they work in major cities. When Lee Jasper starts getting grumpy about Brixton losing its black character, you know things are working well…

“I didn’t claim that that most black mothers are single but that single-parent families are disproportionately black as compared with other ethnic groups.”

I asked for evidence for the claim by another such poster that most black mothers are single; you linked that report in such a manner that suggested you were providing said evidence. Hence the need for clarification.

“It is of sociological interest as to why that is so, as I think you must agree.”